Oxford’s Merton Library: 750-Year-Old Time Capsule of Books and Community

The BBC spotlights Merton College Library in Oxford, a 13th-century treasure housed in a chest whose books were once chained and locked away by three key-holders. Over the centuries it evolved from a chest-based collection to a purpose-built room with early horizontal shelves, becoming one of Europe’s oldest still-functioning academic libraries. While it predates the Aztec Empire, scholars caution there’s no simple measure for the “oldest library.” Today the library remains in active use by students and is being digitally preserved, highlighting how libraries endure by balancing tradition with modern access and a sense of communal learning.